"Starting Out" by A. Rhea King Rating: PG Disclaimer: Don't own them, CBS/Paramount does. Summary: These are the events that happen within the comforts of home and in the routine of every day life. And in ‘The Tweens,’ you will catch glimpses of the everyday lives of the Enterprise crew... Retaliation (9) Trip rolled onto his back in his sleep. Across his room an access panel was removed and a person dressed in black from head to toe climbed out. The person sat the panel aside and walked over to Trip’s computer. The person turned off his alarm and then walked over to the bed, crouching down by it. “Lights. Ten percent,” the person whispered. The lights came up to ten percent. The person reached in a bag they had brought and pulled out a slim cylindrical tube. They pulled the top off and rolled up the lipstick inside. The brilliant red of the lipstick was bright even in the dim light. The person grinned, reached out and applied it to Trip’s lips. The person quickly applied thick layers of rouge, eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara to Trip’s face, dodging his hand when he tried to brush their hand away in his sleep. The person stood when they’d finished and trotted back to the access panel. “Lights. Off,” the person whispered and the lights went off. The person climbed back into the opening and pulled the access panel back on. # Archer tapped his fingers on the situation console. He turned to the companel behind him to call for Trip again. “I’m here. I’m here,” Trip said. “I forgot to set my stupid alarm. Archer turned to scold him but his voice was lost when he saw his chief engineer’s face. Everyone in the situation room stared at Trip, who was oblivious to their stares at the moment. He was hastily sorting through PADDs, trying to get organized for the meeting before Archer laid into him for being late. Trip let out a sigh, looking up at Archer with a smile. His smile wilted in response to Archer’s open-mouthed stare. “Why are you staring at me like that?” “Did you get drunk last night and forget something?” Archer asked. “No. Why?” “I have a blush that would probably look better with your cheekbones, sir.” Hoshi bowed her head, resisting bursting out in laughter. “What!?” Trip looked at her. “Hoshi--” “That rouge does nothing for you, sir,” Malcolm snickered. “What are you two talking about?” Trip looked to Archer for an answer. “You have some...thing, on your face, Commander,” T’Pol said. “What?” “Evidently, sir, you forgot to take your make-up off last night before you went to bed,” Travis told Trip. Trip touched his face. “What are you talking about?” “Why don’t you go get cleaned up and come back, Trip,” Archer suggested. “OH! Oh my gosh!” Malcolm cried out suddenly. Everyone looked at him. Malcolm leaned across the console. “I know why you’re alarm clock didn’t go off and you’re wearing make-up, Commander.” “I’M WHAT?” Trip yelped. He ran his hand across his lips and stared at the red lipstick that came of on it. “It had something to do with peanut butter.” Trip stared at Malcolm but slowly a smile spread across his lips. “She wasn’t a very nice girl last night, was she Malcolm?” “No, sir. She apparently was up to some deviant work.” “What are you two talking about?” Archer asked “Oh. Nothing. I’m going to go get cleaned up.” Trip turned to leave. “Sherie two, Trip one,” Malcolm said. Trip looked back at Malcolm with a cool grin. “Don’t start betting on her yet, Malcolm.” Trip left through the situation door behind him. “Malcolm, what’s going on?” Archer asked. “Ensign Fields threw water on Trip one day,” Malcolm explained, “and he returned the favor by putting peanut butter on her closet door handle. While I found it an unwise move on his part, he also left a note in her closet, taking claim for the prank. When she confronted Commander Tucker about it she promised that this would be dealt with. Commander Tucker’s sudden interest in make-up appears to be the retaliation she had promised.” “My gut says this is going to be an interesting war,” Travis said. “My money’s on Sherie. She’s a prank goddess!” Hoshi said. “I just realized,” Archer laughed “that I’m in charge of a ship full of teenagers!” “HEY!” Hoshi, Malcolm, and Travis retorted. Archer only smiled. Back to Chapter 8 The next short story is Onawandah The next Tweens story is Frank and Speaking

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